The Utah Shakespeare Festival has announced the external understudies for its upcoming 65th season. These performers play a critical role in ensuring that productions can continue should cast members be unable to perform.
External understudies focus exclusively on preparing assigned roles and are not cast in other productions during the season, though they may hold other positions at the Festival. These artists must master lines, movements, staging, costume changes, and music or choreography.
Among the external understudies for the 2026 season are Brittni Shambaugh Addison, who will understudy roles in Troilus and Cressida, Hamlet, Twelfth Night, and See How They Run. Nick Case will understudy roles in Troilus and Cressida and See How They Run. Kristina C. Harding is set to understudy roles in Troilus and Cressida and Hamlet.
Molly Pearson, a student at Southern Utah University, will understudy roles in See How They Run. Giuseppe Michael Pipicella will understudy roles in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and The Book Club Play. Patrick Vest will understudy roles in Troilus and Cressida, Hamlet, Twelfth Night, and See How They Run.
The Festival's 65th season runs from June 18 through October 3. The season includes productions such as Hamlet, Twelfth Night, Troilus and Cressida, Something Rotten!, She Loves Me, See How They Run, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and The Book Club Play.
